The Legend of Zelda: The Hundred Year Reign
by MajoraGodofChaos
Summary: Two years after the events of Twilight Princess, peace has finally come to Hyrule. But when things go sour at Zelda's coronation, the peace that so many have worked for is blown to shreds.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N)Hi my name is MajoraGodofChaos and this is my first story. Just a little side note here, this is the Gamecube TP Hyrule

Here you go! Enjoy!

Prologue: Two Years Ago

` Link was panting heavily as he stood over the wounded body of the Evil King, Ganondorf. He had been fighting him for what seemed like hours, though in reality, it was probably only a few minutes, as it was still twilight. Twilight. That word haunted him now, it reminded him of the beast he became in its unnatural depths, but mostly it reminded him of her. Midna, the twilight princess and his best friend, had been taken from him by this bastard! He remembered when they met, how she had saved him from the castle dungeons (and the little bitch she was) how she had dragged him across Hyrule looking for the damn Fused Shadows, how she had nearly been killed by Zant, all these memories came flooding back to him. Then he heard Ganondorf snicker.

"Thinking about that little bitch? You should have heard her scream when I snapped her neck," he said, laughing maniacally, "She did put up a fight, though. And your name was the last thing that escaped her lips. Heh heh heh." That did it. He raised the light-infused Master Sword and brought it down, striking the glowing wound on the Evil Lord's chest, ending his reign of terror once and for all.

'It's over,' Link thought, 'It's finally over.' The Evil King coughed and spoke his final words: "Do not think it ends here. The history of Shadow and Light will be written in blood!" With the last word he started glowing with a golden light. Then, both Zelda and Link heard three voices, sounding as though they were merged into one: "Ganondorf! By the order of the three Golden Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, you are hereby banished to the Twilight Realm!" The Master Sword then started glowing brighter than it had in the Palace of Twilight's Throne Room. Then, with a blast of blinding light equal to the sun, he was gone. The Master Sword was in his place, no longer glowing.

"What the hell?" Link and Zelda said simultaneously. Suddenly, another light appeared on the hilltop, and Link saw it was Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru, and in their midst was a little limp figure.

"Can it be?" Link said, "No, it's impossible, he said he killed her." 'But he's a lying bastard.' A nagging voice in the back of his head said. But then, he saw the silhouette of a small imp sit up. And he started running. Once he got there, however, he noticed a pile of clothing bunched up.

"Damnit!" Link yelled. Then, the person in the bundle of clothing stood up. It was a woman with orange hair and blue and black skin.

"Midna?" Link gasped.

"What?" the woman replied, "Say something!" She thought for a minute, and then added: "Or am I so beautiful that you have no words left?" Yeah, it was Midna. It was then that Link finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Two days later

Link had recovered from the battle quite remarkably, mainly due to the Triforce of Courage he possessed, as it accelerated his healing process, and was able to get around the parts of Hyrule Castle that remained after the explosion very well. The soon-to-be eighteen-year old could not have been happier that Ganondorf was finally finished. He rejoiced in the fact that soon, after the repairs on the castle were well under way, he could return home to Ordon. However, Zelda had informed him that it would at least be a month, possibly two, before he could leave. He didn't care, though. He had been away for so long that two months wouldn't even matter, and he was happy to be around Midna again, that little time thinking she was dead had made him realize just how much he cared about her. He had taken a couple of days to return to Kakariko Village and visit Talo, Malo, Beth, and Ilia. As he neared Castle Town's east entrance, he saw the portal to the Twilight Realm that Ganondorf had accidentally created with his Sword of Twilight. Midna had tried to close it with her magic, but she had failed to keep it closed for long: the magic in the sword was too strong.

His happiness was short-lived, however as Midna decided to leave at the end of the week.

"Why can't you stay a little longer, Midna?" Link asked, "You haven't seen Ordon yet….. well not really."

"I need to get back," she replied, "The Twilight Realm took more damage than Hyrule did."

"Yeah, I know. Well it's not like I won't ever see you again."

She hesitated before replying, "Yeah, I'll visit sometimes."

"As often as you can, right?"

"Yeah, of course"

Three days later, Mirror Chamber, Gerudo Desert

"Well I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Midna said, with the Mirror of Twilight glowing behind her, "Light and Shadow can't mix, as we all know."

"Midna-" Link started, but quickly fell silent.

"Light and Shadow are two sides of the same coin, Midna," Zelda said, "One cannot exist without the other."

"Zelda-" Midna started, but stopped, as if looking for the right words, "Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, well I guess you'll do alright," She turned to Link, "Thank you, Link. For everything." She turned and went up the translucent steps to the portal. She stopped, as if she had remembered something important. She turned around. "Link-" She started.

"Hmm?"

"I… See you later." A pink tear rolled down her cheek. She caught it and pushed it towards the Mirror. As it made contact with the ancient artifact, it cracked. All too late, Link realized what she was doing. What was it she had said about the leader of the Twili?

_"Only the true leader of the Twili can completely destroy the Mirror of Twilight. That's why Zant was only able to break it into pieces."_

"MIDNA! NOOOO!" He screamed, running up the worn stone steps. He stopped in front of the Mirror. "I'm sorry Link." Was the last thing he heard before the Mirror of Twilight exploded, blasting him onto the sand. And the only thing he could think before he lost consciousness was 'Why, Midna, why?'

Two Months Later

"_What's it like in the Twilight Realm, Midna?" "Imagine your sunset sky all the time, 24/7." "Wow, it sounds beautiful." "It really is, Link." "Will I ever see it?" Of course, Link. I need to go there to get my Fused Shadows before we go save Princess Zelda from Hyrule Castle." "Sounds great, Midna."_

Link awoke from his dream with a feeling of sadness. It had been two months since Midna had shattered the Mirror of Twilight. He had tried to not think about her, but spending nearly two years with a person made it really hard to forget them. Then, he heard a knock on his door.

"Yeah?" he said, sitting up in bed.

"Link?" he heard. It was Zelda.

"Come in," he said.

She opened the door and came in, her shoes clicking on the hard stone floor. She was already dressed for the day, except her hair wasn't done up in its usual fashion.

"You're leaving today, aren't you?" she said.

'Cut to the chase why don't ya? Damn,' Link thought, "Yeah. I've got no reason to stick around, do I? I've done all I can here."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Zelda said sadly, "You and the children need to get back to Ordon."

"The children got back there a month ago, Zelda," Link replied, "Rusl and Telma took them there, and from what I hear, Colin helped with taking care of the Bulblins on the road."

"Oh," she replied, "that's good."

"Yeah, I was happy when he came by and told me the news," he said, "But I really do need to get back. It's been over a year, hasn't it?"`

"More than two," she answered.

"Damn I was off!" he said, laughing.

"Well, I'll let you get packed," she said, getting up.

"Okay," he replied.

A few hours later, Link was riding Epona through the Kakariko pass and envisioning home. He was so lost in his thoughts, he wasn't paying attention to anything else. Therefore, it scared the hell out of him when a voice from the shadows spoke to him, "Hey Link!"

He was so startled, he fell off Epona, while at the same time drawing the Master Sword from its sheath on his back. The result was a sort of crouched defensive position, but that was all shot to hell when he saw the orange-haired imp floating in front of him

"Midna?" he gasped, and fell on his back. Midna, as was her trademark, gave a high-pitched giggle, and said, "Did you lose all form of grace in the two months I was gone?"

"How the hell?" Link asked, "You destroyed the only connection between the worlds!"

"Well, you forgot the rend in the Realms," she replied, "So you can thank our good friend Ganondorf for my presence."

"But aren't you Princess? And why are you in your imp form?" The questions were flowing like Zora's River.

"Well I was bored to tears with that job, so I put my sister Naomi in charge and came here. And it takes a lot of magic to remain in that form in the Light Realm." She smiled. "Well it looks like I'll finally get to really see Ordon." And with that, she disappeared into Link's shadow, as he mounted Epona and pushed her into a full Gallop towards home.

(A/N)Did you like it? Please R/R!


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N)Well here it is! The real story begins! _Flashbacks in italics by the way_.

Chapter 1: Duels and Memories of Duels

To anyone who did not know the two people in the spring, they would think that they were the worst enemies in the world, so fiercely did their blades clash. To anyone who did know them, they would have trouble believing that one of them was not possessed by a demon, as it was common knowledge that they were the best of friends. Though it was just a "sparring session" as Link and Colin called it, everyone who had seen one of them called them duels. Duel was the more accurate term, as the only thing resembling sparring in them was the pads that they kept on the blades of their swords so that they would not cut one another's heads off. Link had the advantage, he had forced Colin into a defensive stance, but that all changed when Colin shoved his shield forward, pushing Link back and flipping over him, trying to strike at his back. However, Link fell forward into a roll and sprung up, focusing power into his blade as he went. When Colin landed, Link jumped at him, using the Jump Strike. Colin leaped aside, dodging the shockwave, but that didn't deter Link. He used the momentum from his attack and went into a Great Spin Attack, but Colin ducked and dodged it as well. Link then went from the spin into a roll. As he neared Colin's back, he sprung into a Back Slice, but instead of using his sword, he spun into a roundhouse kick and knocked the surprised youth to the ground. When he fell, Colin's sword flew away and landed too far away for him to reach.

"Had enough?" Link asked, holding his sword jokingly at the youth's throat. Colin groaned and nodded, having taken more of a beating than he was used to. "Damn, Link, where'd you learn THAT move?" he asked, referring to Link's improvised Back Slice. Link frowned at the memory, it had been a year ago, the time Link had to return to the Sacred Grove and get the Master Sword, the time Ganondorf had almost broken free….

_Link rushed up the steps to the Castle's Throne Room, already fearing he was too late. He saw the dead bodies of the castle knights, their fierce expressions still on their faces as they died fighting to protect their Princess. He rushed past them, his sword already starting to glow as it sensed the powerful Twilight Magic at the top of the stairs. He rushed into the Throne Room, expecting the worst. However, all he saw was his dark doppelganger, just finishing setting up for his ritual to bring his Evil Lord back from the Twilight._

_ "Well, this is a minor setback," Dark Link commented, "but no matter. I'll kill you now, so Lord Ganondorf doesn't have to bother with you!" he finished, emitting a laugh while drawing the Dark Sword, the evil counterpart to the Light Sword that Link held now. He jumped at Link, slashing at him as he went. Link backflipped into a defensive stance, holding his Hylian Shield in front of him. He attempted to slice at Dark, but Dark was unrelenting in his assault. It was all Link could do just to keep Dark from cutting his head off. Link finally caught a break when Dark overbalanced himself and tripped, giving Link the perfect opening to turn the tables and go on the offensive, being as relentless as Dark was in his assault. He saw that Dark was about to attempt to return the battle to his favor, so he rolled around him and did a Back Slice. However, Dark saw the move coming and rolled forward, and forced Link to improvise, using the technique's momentum to deliver a roundhouse kick to Dark's back, throwing him off-balance. Link saw the opening and seized it, jabbing at Dark, who countered by smacking the Light Sword away and sending it flying across the room. Link, deprived of his main weapon, drew the Gilded Short Sword that Faron had given him along with the Kokiri Dagger from the sheath on his belt. _

'_This won't do much good, but it'll have to do till I get the Master Sword back,' Link thought while blocking Dark's sword from cleaving him in two. He then surprised Dark by lunging with the small blade, cutting him on the arm. 'Yes!' Link thought, but his mental celebration ended when Dark shrugged it off as though it had been a mere needle that poked him. 'Damn! I can't do anything with this!' He then dropped the small blade and made a dash to where his sword laid, dodging the dark energy bolts Dark was firing at him. He cried out as one of them sliced across his arm. As he reached for the sword, he heard footsteps behind him, meaning Dark was running up on him. He grabbed it and, with a feral roar, spun around, sinking the Blade of Evil's Bane into Dark's chest. Like his master before him, Dark started glowing with the same golden light, and after a flash, he was nowhere to be seen. Link dropped the sword and sat down, relishing the fact that Ganon was NOT coming back._

"Link? Link?" Link jumped and shook his head. "You ok? You kinda zoned out there," Colin commented.

"Yeah, Yeah," Link replied, "just, you know, thinking."

"Ok, but we really should get back, it's getting late," he said, pointing to the sky; it was already turning pink.

"Okay, let's go," Link replied, getting up. And they began the walk home.

(A/N)Soooooooo…. What do you think? Please R&R, Please! It inspires me to write!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N GASP...I'M UPDATING? Yes, I kinda got off track, lost inspiration for this story, and decided to take it in a (slightly) different direction. I'll update _probably_ once every couple weeks. it depends.

Chapter 3

The Coronation

A week later, a letter arrived in the mail (in other words, the postman scared the hell out of Link) inviting Link to Zelda's coronation. Midna was invited , too.

"So, you wanna go?" Midna asked Link, nodding at the letter on the table. Link smiled. When she had returned, he had allowed her to stay with him, since she had nowhere else to go. Two years later, She still stayed here, bugging the hell out of him. He didn't mind, though. Over the years, he had developed (slight) feelings for the Twili imp. Ilia hadn't really worked out like he thought she would, and they had gone out for only two months. But, at least he knew. "Link? Liiiiiinnnnnkk... LINK!" "Huh, what?" He jumped up, shaking his head. "Do. You want. To go?!" Midna repeated.

"Only if you force me..." he groaned. The soon-to-be-Queen's feelings for him were well known, and he generally avoided her company whenever possible. The feeling was NOT mutual.

"OK, we're going," Midna said. Link knew there was no arguing with her at that point, so he sighed and nodded his head, knowing that he'd get his head taken off by the firey little imp if he so much as tried to whine.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed, get some rest for tomorrow. Big day." Midna nodded and flew off to her room. If only they knew how big it would truly be.

The next day

Link galloped Epona towards Castle Town at full speed, hoping they'd be late, and Zelda wouldn't be able to force her affections on him. He knew better, though. He had even thought about asking Ilia to pretend to be married to him, but in the end just decided to wing it.

"For the record, you look nothing like you." Midna commented from the shadows, referring to his Clothes. The only thing that could identify him was the Sword and Sheild on his back. He was dressed in a royal blue tunic with a bright red flowing cape, and a set of Golden Gauntlets (a gift from Faron, they supposedly belonged to the Hero of Time). He looked quite different.

"Like looking different can help." He sighed," She can _sense_ me" he said glumly, holding up his right hand, the golden Triforce mark resonating brightly.

"Does your Triforce usually shine that bright?"

"When I'm near another Triforce piece it does," He said. They were at the throne room entrance. "Wel, let's get this over with." As he walked into the Throne room, he was greeted by none other than Zelda herself.

"Link! You made it!" She said. "Sorry, can't really talk right now, So much to do. We'll talk after, ok?"

"Sure." Link replied, trying to hide his glee, and barely succeeding. "See you then." Zelda ran off, taking her position at foot of the throne. "Let's get this over with."

"Hush" Midna said. "It's starting." After going through her rights and responsibilities and such, Zelda finally sat on the throne, With Fado, the high preist and Zelda's advisor, Finally prepared to annoint her Queen.

"And so, in the name of the Golden Goddesses, Din , Nayru, and Farore, I hereby annoint you..." He never finished his sentence. At that moment, a massive explosion shook the Throne room, and the shockwave knocked Link (painfully) into the wall. He was struggling to get up, when he heard a voice that sent shivers down his spine.

"...King."

'_No, no nonononono! It can't be!'_ He looked up.

Ganondorf, the King of Evil, Was standing with Hyrule's crown on his head, and and an evil smirk on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Return of Evil

Link stared, speechless, at the towering figure before him. "How?" was all he could muster. Ganondorf laughed and replied,

"It turns out that the ritual that Dark Link was working on worked from _both_ sides of the portal." he said, nodding to Dark, who was standing beside him, also wearing his master's evil grin. Dark continued the sentence. "We found the spot about a week ago, but our Shadow scouts found out about the lovely princess's coronation today, so we waited. We wanted to give her a gift she'd _never_ forget." He said, looking toward where Zelda's body lay.

"Shadow scouts?" Midna asked, "What the hell are those?"

"Oh, you're here are you?" Ganondorf sneered, "Well I might as well show you." He said, gesturing towards the portal behind him. With that, two beasts that looked like slender Twilight Messengers walked through the portal. Link knew Midna was about to flip out, and he grabbed her.

"YOU MONSTER!" she screamed, fighting Link's grip fiercely. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!" Ganondorf threw his head back and laughed.

"Come on, have some fun!" He gestured towards the portal, "In fact, let me invite some friends!" With that, a swarm of Darknuts and Dinolfolses ran through the portal.

_'Uh Oh'_, Link thought, and instinctively started to run towards the door, Midna following him, her rage forgotten in favor of fear. As he rounded the corner, he saw that The Shadow scouts were very aptly named as they popped up in front of them, he turned around, but saw the swarm of Darknuts approaching them.

"Midna, get in my shadow!" Link commanded, and she complied. He drew the Kokiri Dagger from his belt and jumped over the edge of the castle, stabbing the wall and praying it slowed his fall enough. He hit the ground, hard, and continued running towards the main gate, whistling Epona's Song.

"We're just gonna leave Zelda?" Midna asked.

"I hate it, Midna, but there's nothing we can do! Did you see that?"

Midna nodded silently, and disappeared into his shadow. Link climbed onto Epona's back and rode for the gates, but he was soon confronted by the Gerudo King himself. Epona reared, and Link drew his sword. Midna popped out of Link's shadow, the Fused Shadows rotating around her.

"Midna, no!" Link yelled.

"Go, Link! I'll meet you in Ordon!" She yelled as she transformed into the whatever-it-was that she became. Link turned around and headed east, out of the city, towards Lake Hylia. _'What the hell was she thinking? There's no way she can handle that. There was nothing I could do, though, I wouldn't have been able to carry her if she had turned back, and she would have been too tired to go into my shadow. I hope she's okay.' _Link was thrown from his thoughts, and quite nearly the saddle, when Epona reared.

"HOW?" Link yelled, as he looked at the Evil King himself standing before him. He looked around for a way out but realized he was on the Great Bridge of Hylia.

"What, you think your little friend's weak magic could stand up to the might of THIS!" He yelled, holding up his right hand, the Triforce of Power shining brightly. "I control the Power of the Goddess DIN! No withered magic like that of Majora's could EVER stand up to it! Now, you were a fun little distraction at first, but you have FAR outlived your usefulness! DIE!" He screamed, drawing the Sword of Twilight and charging toward Link. Link drew his Master Sword and jumped off Epona's back, dodging Ganon's blow. He swung at Ganondorf, but The Gerudo sidestepped each blow. Neither Ganon nor Link could land a blow on each other; they were evenly matched. They fought for what seemed like hours, trading blows, and both of them trying not to get their heads cut off. Ganondorf tried a low swing at Link, but Link stepped on the blade and back flipped onto the side of the bridge, kicking the false king in the face in the process. Ganon snarled, and tried to stab Link, but Link bent back just in time to avoid it. However, Ganon had succeeded in doing what he had been aiming to do: catch Link by his sword belt. He yanked back with his sword, dragging the youth with it, and sliced through the thin leather of the belt. Link lost his balance and fell over the edge, into Lake Hylia. Link surfaced, gasping for air, and fumbling for his sword. When he didn't see it, he realized he must have dropped it on the bridge when he fell. He saw Ganondorf float down, and he seemed to land on the water.

"Link," he said, "you fight bravely, but your services as a hero are no longer needed. Goodbye." He charged up a spell, and Link instinctevly swam towards the bottom of the lake. Ganon's spell fired, and Link realized his mistake. The spell was an ice beam and it froze the lake on impact, sealing Link in a watery grave.

Midna flew through Hyrule Field, having escaped Ganondorf's prison. She knew she had to awake the one who could stop this all. She knew she had to find Link. She reached Lake Hylia, and she found him easily; he was the only speck of color in the lake. She summoned what little magic she could muster, and fired a concentrated beam of fire down near Link.

Link awoke with a start, frantically swimming towards the surface. He reached up and clawed his way out of the small pit in the ice. "Midna?" he gasped.

"Link, thank goddesses you're okay!" Midna said, rushing over to him. "I was worried it wouldn't work!"

"Why wouldn't it? How long have I been under? A week? Maybe two?"

Midna's face fell as she realized that Link had no Idea how much time had passed. "L-Link, it's been..."

"What? How long?"

"It's been..."

"C'mon, Midna, spit it out!"

"Link, it's been one hundred years."

** GASP! Exposition! Well, Merry Christmas, and a (reveiw) Happy New Year (review)!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A Changed World

"No, no, it can't be!" Link cried, pacing back and forth, looking at his surroundings, knowing Midna couldn't be lying. "How am I alive? How are _you _alive?"

Midna sighed and replied, "Well, you're alive because you were frozen, I guess, and I'm alive because Ganon wanted to keep me around. He'd never come out and say it, but I knew that he was keeping me for something. I just didn't know what."

"But..." Link just couldn't comprehend the fact that one hundred years had gone by, the thought was too overpowering for him. "Well, what about everyone else? Telma? Rusl? Renado?"

"They're all dead, Link."

"Ilia? Zelda? All of them?"

"No. They're... I wouldn't exactly call it safe."

"Well?" Link didn't like the look on her face.

"There's seven Sages, right? Well, Ilia and Zelda, along with five other girls, have been being held captive, most likey in the old dungeons, guarded by Ganondorf's best men. They can't be killed, and they can't die. But they're not very 'safe' like that."

"Damnit! And I don't have any of my equipment!" Link's pouches had been on his sword belt. "And I'll likely be killed trying to get anywhere."

"Well, why not transform into a wolf?"

"I don't have the Shadow Pendant." He replied. Before she had left for the Twilight Realm, she had removed the evil part of the Twilight magic that resided in the Shadow Crystal. It allowed him transform at will, but it was gone, most likey it fell of on the bridge.

"Damn, more setbacks." Midna floated up and landed on Link's shoulder.

"Midna..."

"Yeah, Link?"

"What happened to Epona?" She could see the tears forming in his eyes, and she understood why. That horse had been with him through everything, almost.

"She's the Darknut leader's horse. She was immortalized. He patrols southern Faron Field."

"Can we undo the spell?"

"The spell is bound to him, from what I've heard, so if he dies, there's a good chance that it will. No promises, though."

"I need a sword." Was his only response.

*A few hours later*

"That's him." Midna said, pointing at the stongest member of Ganon's army this side of the Castle. His armor was blue, not the usual gold that Darknut generals usually wore. Link nodded, and gripped the rapier that he had stolen from an unsuspecting guard tightly.

"Anything special about him? Or do you know?" He asked bluntly. Midna could see how determined to retrieve his horse, and made no move to stop him.

"He has a big ass mace, in case you couldn't tell, and he specializes in horseback combat." Being held prisoner behind the throne room for so long was finally paying off.

"So knock him off." Link confirmed. Midna only nodded, and dissappeared into Link's shadow. Link's main problem with trying to surprise him was that he stuck out like a sore thumb, still wearing the tunic he had worn to the coronation, but that didn't deter him. He moved as quickly as he could from one patch of cover to the next, being silent as possible. He reached a boulder that was close to the leader's path, and when the Darknut was close enough, Link jumped out and grabbed the Darknut, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Link was up first, and readied his battle stance, the monster stumbling up next, mace at the ready. Link wasted no time in charging in, landing swift blows on the creature, faster than it could ever strike. He dodged every one of the Darknut's blows that came his way. He had the upper hand from the beginning, and the creature, despite its training, was felled quickly. As soon as it dissappeared, Epona's armor came off as well, leaving her as pristine as the day Ganon took over. Midna popped out of Link's shadow, and with a smirk, asked, "Happy now?" Link could only nod.

*Later*

Link was devastated as he rode Epona through Ordon Woods, seeing the destroyed skeletons of trees and wildlife everywhere. He briefly wondered why nothing had grown back yet, but assumed that something in the magic Ganondorf had used to do this had prevented it. The only form of life was around the spring, yet Link decided not to stop, he wanted to see what had beome of Ordon Village, though he knew the answer.

Destruction.

Desolation.

Death.

Link climbed off of Epona (She lacked a saddle) and sank to his knees as he looked at the shattered remains of his hometown. Ganon's work here was complete long ago it seemed, but at least he had the decency to incinerate the remains of his friends; no bones remained. Midna was silent, though she could feel the hatred radiating off him.

"Link?" She asked. "Are you okay?" She got no response. Hours passed, and it seemed that it had finally sank in just how much the world had changed. He was in a different world now, with different allies, different places, yet one thing stayed the same; the one thing that always stayed the same, throughout the history of the world.

Ganondorf, the Enemy.

Link got up, dusted off his knees, and walked over to the remains of his house. He opened the secondary basement door, the only way in now, and descended down the small flight of stairs, pulling off his gauntlets and tunic. He walked over to the treasure chest in the corner and pulled out the contents he had stored there before he left; the Hero's Clothes, donning the chainmail shirt first, then the gaunlets, then the tunic itself. On the way back out, he grabbed the several bags of Rupees he had stored down there. As he strappped Epona's secondary saddle onto her back, he swore to himself he would never come back. Then, as he crossed the bridge, he stopped.

"Ganondorf!" He yelled. "Here, today, I swear on my life, THAT YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" He pushed Epona into a full gallop, heading for the Faron Woods.

**A/N Well, you like? Tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Escape from Hyrule

Link was silent as he rode Epona softly through the Faron Woods. The dawn had come a few hours ago, while they were still in Ordon, and now the sun was high in the sky. Midna hadn't said a word, and she was still worried Link might do something stupid. "Link, you need to rest."

Link sighed and replied, "No, Midna, I'm fine. Besides, every minute we stand still is a minute Ganon has to catch up to us."

"Are you sure? You can defend yourself, you have a sword."

"No, I have a cracked rapier stuck through my tunic belt. I hate staying still in enemy territory, Midna, and right now that's Hyrule. We stayed too long back there." He refused to call it Ordon.

"Well, what are we gonna do? Most of the places near Hyrule are under his control." "Any he doesn't?"

"Well, New Hyrule, northwest of the Great Sea, and the Great King's Ocean, east of Termina."

"Well, there's one..."

"Link I doubt they could help us."

"It's worth a shot. Ganondorf has probably never even _heard _of Trenea." He was referring to the secluded country far to the north. "If we make for the capital, Arcerra, we'll likely get there before he can do anything"

"But Link, Arcerra is too far! And you don't know anyting about Trenea!" Link cringed. She had a point.

"Well, Midna, It's our only shot. New Hyrule couldn't do anything anyway, and making for Termina's ocean is just plain stupid." Midna couldn't argue. They were coming to the final clearing of the forest, where Hyrule proper border was officially said to start. Link prepared Epona to gallop, the Trenean Pass being on the north side of the Bridge of Eldin, but that didn't prepare him for what he saw as he got to the field itself. It was the last thing that he had hoped to see.

Dark Link, flanked by several Bulblin Riders.

"Shit." Link whispered under his breath, and thought of turning back to the woods, but was quickly corrected in his thought by a trio of Darknuts stepping out of the trees.

"Well, Link, this was the _last _thing I expected when I heard that the southern Darknut General had been killed. I honestly expected an uprising. Would've been really glad for one, too. It's getting pretty boring around here." Dark stated.  
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Dark. Who said an uprising wasn't coming?" Link shot back, all the while thinking of ways he could get out of this. His options weren't pretty.

"Well, I'm hardly afraid of you."

"Funny. I feel the same way."

"While we're here, I assume you went to Ordon?" Link merely nodded. There was no point in hiding anything. "Heh, I hope you liked my handiwork." Link's jaw nearly dropped, but he kept his face emotionless. He drew his borrowed blade. "I remember it like it was yesterday, the screams and cries as I stuck down each one of the villagers." Link was shaking with anger. "Of course, a few tried to fight back. The old swordsman," Rusl. "He couldn't keep up. The fat one was killed almost instantly." Bo. "The rancher had a bow, he was slightly annoying," Fado. "The three smallest children," Talo, Malo, and Hanna. "They were killed in the fires." If Link was a wolf he would have torn his throat out. Hell, he was pretty sure he didn't even _need _the wolf. "That Colin boy put up a hell of a fight. I must say, he protected his girlfriend until his last breath." Beth. "I even gave him a choice to join me, but he declined. Pity, too. He would have made a great soldier." Link was about to snap. "Let's see, who am I forgetting... OH! Of course." His smirk evolved into a full-fledged smile. Link knew whse name was about to escpe his lips. "Ilia. She was the last one." Link couldn't take it anymore. With a roar, he drew the sword back and flinged it like a spear at Dark. It struck his evil double in the leg, injuring him long enough to push past him and get to the open field.

"GET HIM!" Dark cried, holding his leg, and the Bulblins followed the Hero.

"You'll pay for this!" Link yelled, not looking back. The Bulblin's Bulbo mounts were fast, but nothing could outrun Epona. Link had trained her to be able to do just that. However, her stamina was limited, so she could only sprint for so long. Heading through the FarDin pass, which separated the Provinces, he turned north, looking back to see if the Bulblins were still following him. They weren't, but they had been replaced with a much more dangeous threat: Aerofolses. Link cursed under his breath and pushed Epona to her limit, knowing they'd have to stop after they passed the Trenean border. It was no good, the wind was in the monster's favor. They soon caught up to Link, and proceeded to try to hack his head off. He grabbed one of their swords on the blunt side and stabbed the two creatures, then took Epona's reigns again and continued to push to the border. He could see the Eldin Bridge clearly; the pass was in faint view on the other side. "Almost there, girl." Link told his horse, and she seemed to acknowledge his words. Link felt a small relief as he heard her hoofbeats change from dirt to the hard stone of the bridge, but knew that it wouldn't last long. As Epona thundered over the bridge, he saw a lone Darknut at the pass he drew back the Aerofolse's sword and stabbed the darknut in the chest, the monster collapsing on the ground, before galloping over the old chain rope bridge to freedom. He heard the Darknut's armor clank and he turned hi head to see it attempting a final revenge, slicing the chains that held the bridge up befor collapsing for good. the bridge was falling quickly, and Link pushed Epona as hard as he could once more, the bridge giving out as they crossed it.

*Later*

Link climbed off of Epona and surveyed the flat land all around him. He knew that Arcerra was in the middle of they country, but it was a good week's ride before they'd reach it. There, he could buy a sword and shield and a few supplies for the journey. It was going to be a long one, Link could already tell. He unsaddled Epona and let her sleep, shortly before falling to dreams himself.

**A/N:** Just to clarify, New Hyrule is the Hyrule in Spirit Tracks, and the Great King's Ocean is the Realm of the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass. Trenea is pronounced Tren-ay-uh, and Arcerra Ars-err-uh. Tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Sorry it took so long to get a new chapter out, my hard drive crashed and I was computerless for a month and a half. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Arcerra

Link was exhilarated as the capital city finally came into view. He had been riding almost nonstop for three days, only taking short breaks; he knew Ganondorf's troops would be on him the moment he let his guard down. He pushed Epona a little faster, knowing she was weary. As he approached the gates, he noticed two soldiers running out to greet him. He was slightly worried, as he and Midna had discussed before, Treneans weren't very social.

"Shit." he muttered. "Midna? Stay in my shadow. We have company."

"Friendly?" She asked, slightly worried. "Or can you tell from here?"

"If not, we're out of options."

"Welcome!" The guards called. Didn't seem too... threatening? "What is your business here?"

"I come from Hyrule. I seek temporary asylum in your city, as well as some armaments."

"A Hylian refugee? Come right in, sir!" Refugee? Was this more serious than he had initially thought?

"Can you direct me to a stable? My horse is tired, I've been riding for three days."

"Of course. Just down the street, you can't miss it." The guard replied. Link nodded in reply, and set off down the street, leading Epona. After dropping her off at the stables, he began to look for a swordsmith. Or an inn. Whichever he found first. As he was walking, Midna decided to speak up from his shadow.

"Ok, Link," she began, speaking in Twili, a tactic they used when they were around a lot of people, and could be easily overheard, "where in the name of Nayru did you learn to talk like that?"

"Like what?" he replied.

"Well, you 'seek asylum, and are looking for some armaments,' for one. Where the hell did you learn how to talk like that?"

"Zelda. I lived with her for two months. I kinda had to devolp that kind of mindset to talk to the ambassadors and such, and it's easy to slip into that kind of thinking. Stuck up bastards. Can't be bothered with our 'common speak'."

"You say as you violently butcher my own." Midna replied with a giggle. It was true, he wasn't very good at the language yet, she had only been teaching him for about a year. "In any case, you need a sword. And a shield. And a lot of other things."

"My Shadow Pendant notwithstanding. My..." Link started. "Midna, what is 'wolf' in Twili? I forget. And I shouldn't." he continued, mentally kicking himself.

"Link, funnily enough, there is no word for wolf. At least, it won't translate _directly _into it. The closest thing is _sacré tier, _roughly, and appropriately enough, 'sacred beast', in Hylian. The more you know, huh?"

"Yeah." He continued in Hylian. There was no more reason for him to continue to struggle with Twili, as the streets were thinning out. "A true _devinier streich _from the goddesses, huh?"

"Divine prank, indeed."

"So, as I was saying, my wolf form would come in immensely handy, especially since Epona is my only current form of transport, and she isn't as young as she used to be. Do you see a guard anywhere?"

"True, no, and why?"

"Because city guards usually know the layout of a city, and they'd know where a swordsmith is."

"This city isn't exactly normal in its architecture, Link, it's gonna take a while to find anything." She was right, at least from a Hylian standpoint. It was circular, rather than Hyrule's typical square cities, and was surrounded by a large stone wall, presumably to keep out intruders. "Hey, there's an inn. Why don't we stay there for the night?"

"Yeah, let's. We can look for a smith tomorrow. I'm about to crash, personally. Apparently, going three days without sleep does that, or so I've heard." He said, chuckling.

The next morning

"What a damn ripoff. _ Two hundred and fifty rupees _for one night? For a one-bed room! I've bought _shields _for less than that!_** SHIELDS! PLURAL!**_" Link was steaming.

"In the inn's defense, it _was_ rather nice. But I still can't help feeling severely ripped off."

_**"YOU SHOULD!"**_

__"Link, chill. At least you got the location of a swordsmith, _and _where you can buy a shield... " Link was already storming off in the direction the innkeeper told him to go, but he yelled back _**"FOR LESS THAN I PAID THERE!" **_Midna simply sighed, and ran off after him, having disguised herself using the magic that she used to con Link into helping her with the first time they had met. **(A/N I hate to interrupt the story's flow here, but if you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'm referring to when she shapeshifted into Colin and Ilia shortly after you meet Zelda the first time. Won't happen again, all notes will be at the end from now on. Carry on.) **

A short time later, they found themselves in an open-bazaar-type area with multiple shops, selling various goods. After some searching, Link finally found a shield, for two hundred rupees. ("See? I told you!") It was silver and purple, and bore a large yellow talon in the middle. It was rather brittle feeling, and felt like it'd snap with too much force on it. Link also found a light brown cloak with a hood on it. Deciding it would be good for sneaking around Ganondorf's enemies without being recognized, he bought it along with the shield.

After leaving the bazaar, Link made his way in the direction the innkeepertold him the best swordsmith was. After a few minutes of searching, they finally found it in the back alley of one of the larger shops.

"Why would such a 'great' swordsmith not be on the main road? I swear, if that innkeeper lied to me..." Link mused. Upon entering, he noticed it was nothing more that a dingy room with a small counter. "Hello?" He called, "Anyone home?"

"Yes, yes just a moment!" An obviously elderly voice called from what Link assumed was the back room, where the smithing took place. As the man entered the room, Link absolutely _knew_ the man was Hylian. His ears were an almost dead giveaway, as the Treneans' ears weren't as prominent as the Hylians'. "Dear goddesses, you're Hylian!" Link cried. The man looked dumbfounded, as if no one had been able to ever guess his lineage. Or Link had just stated the blantantly obvious, and the man was shocked at his stupidity. "Yes... And from the looks of it, you are too. My name is Smee, the smithy. May I help you?"

"Yes, I need a good sword. Sturdy. About medium length."

"Ah, that I can help you with, Mister..."

"Link." He stated without thinking. Both Link and Midna at that point metally kicked Link. Had the old man been a spy of Ganon, Link would have just revealed himself to the enemy, while being totally defenseless.

"Link..." The titular dumbass, as Midna was undoubtedly calling him, braced himself, ready to burst out the door. "You wouldn't happen to be related to the Link that died when Ganon took over, would you?" Link relaxed. He was no enemy. Just an old man who remembered life before Ganondorf. Or had heard of it, at the very least. "Yes, I am." Link replied. No need in getting into his whole life story.

"But that means... You must be trying to stop the Evil King!" Link stared, and Midna outright gawked at the old man. Was their plan _that_ transparent? "You, are aren't you? You're a descendant of the hero, right?" Ah. the man was going by the Evil-comes-then-hero-awakens-then-kicks-evil's-ass formula.

"Well, either I kill him, or I die trying." Link replied.

"Well I'll get to work on a sword for you, right away! Free of charge, of course!"

"No." Link firmly declined the discount. "I'll pay like everyone else. I don't want special treatmeant because I'm a hero."

"Well, if that's how you feel. Come back in a couple of hours to get the sword. It should be ready by then"

"I will." Link replied.

Two hours later

"Here it is, my crowning aceivement!" The old man happily proclaimed as he handed the sword to Link. It was stunning. The blade itself was flawless, the only marks upon it being a Triforce on both sides, near the hilt. the hilt itself was amazingly done, with the sides branching out to form wings akin to the Hylian Royal Family's crest. The Triforce "head" of the bird was inlaid with a Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, in the corresponding Goddesses' position. The end of the blade was fashioned into talons, also like the Royal Crest. In length, it was about the same length as the Master Sword, if only a couple of inches shorter.

"This is beautiful..." Link was stricken speechless at the sight of the blade. and even Midna admired it.

"You like it?" Smee asked, looking hopeful.

"Like?" Link began."Like can't begin to describe how I feel about this. Thank you. Sincerely. How much do I owe you?"

"A hundred rupees. And a freed Hyrule."

"Done." Link replied, smiling as he handed the man an orange rupee. "I'm assuming it has a sheath?"

"Ah, of course! I almost forgot." Smee said as he scurried behind the counter. It was a simple brown scabbard, nowhere near as ornate as the sword, but Link didn't care. He fastened it to his back, and prepared to leave. As he reached the door, he stopped.

"Smee. When I return, Hyrule will be saved. I swear it."

"I'm loooking forward to it, Master Link." Link merely smiled and left the shop, heading for the stables. His work in Arcerra, and Trenea, for that matter, was done. All that was left for him now was to take down an Evil King and restore peace to Hyrule.

It shouldn't take long.

**(A/N) Whew! Finally got that out of the way! The story's only gonna get better from here on out! Drop me a review, if you have the time!**

**(E/A/N) The Shield Link picked up is basically the Sacred Shield from Skyward Sword, without the self-repairing properties. As for the cloak, well.. I figured it'd make him look more badass.**


End file.
